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This book is in memory of our son 
and brother, Ernest Frank Hausser, and 
can only be obtained thru a personal 
request to his immediate family. 



From Youth to Man 



Verses written during School 
and College Life 



by 



Ernest Frank Hausser 



Philadelphia, U. S. A. 
1920 









Copyright 1920, by 
A. HAUSSER, Philadelphia 



MA' ; 



George H Buchanan Company 
Philadelphia 



©CI.A565967 



My songs no more re-echo 
My infinite devotion, 
Than does a tiny sea-shell 
The music of the ocean. 



And so may this small collection of verse 
but serve to aid us to fancy what might 
have been, and give us an insight into a 
noble soul. 



FANCY 



SPRING 

Go forth my soul, for the Muse divine 

Is singing in new refrains, 
And Spring like a pure and lithesome maiden 

Leaps out of the musical strains. 

She flings the sunbeams in circles enchanted, 
The wings of the winds unfold; 

She scatters the green with a lyrical laughter 
And daintily trims with gold. 

Go forth where she lingers — look into her eyes, 
That sparkle with transient gleam, 

Till it rouses within thee that golden ardor — 
Then swoon to her bosom and dream. 



13 



AD DEUM 

A mystical love is unfolding 

In the bud to a gradual rose ; 

In the rose ever longing for beauty, 

In the beauty that heavenward flows. 



VISIONS 

When I on Nature's green repose at rest, 
With peaceful tranquil thoughts am doubly 

blessed, 
I view in sky-transforming clouds, the scenes 
That form in ideal tones my cherished 

dreams. 

Then in a bluish mist they fade away, 
While others, forming, rise to link the play; 
And so my idle fancies fade and rise, 
Each plays, in turn, its part upon the skies. 



14 



FANCY 

Deep within cool forest shades, 

Dim silent realms steeped in the fainting 

Echoes of forgotten lore, 

There glides thru nature's mystic halls 

Great Fancy's queen, wan fading form, 

Like twilight trailing thru deep green — 

Hovering, still, o'er velvet beds, 

Moss-grown where brooklets sparkle low 

Like music of the long ago. 

She sways, sweet Fancy sways supreme, 
And from her luring wand arise 
In wondrous ways the wondrous play 
Of life — a dream, dreamed by the soul 
That sleeps — in mortal bosom sleeps 
And wakes when mortal is no more. 

She glides — with winged time keeps pace- 
The present wanes into the past, 
And there I lie, alone, and dream 
While Fancy steals my life away. 



15 



NATURE'S CHILD 

Great crystal peaks and frozen streams 
Enwrap their chilly winter dreams 

In hazy mists that flow 
To form the veils of nature's child, 
Smiling o'er a primal wild, 

Time and years ago. 

While fairy forms in dreamy flight 
Pass down the misty slopes of white — 

Their crystal trumpets blow, 
And flakes of pearl around her strew 
And bathe her hair with icy dew, 

Time and years ago. 

And still where whitest snows arise 
She glides along with lyric sighs. 

From smiling Sappho flows 
A winter Grace of snow-like thought — 
For nature's purest work was wrought 

Time and years ago. 



16 



BLOW, WIND, BLOW 

Blow, wind, blow; 
'Tis a murmuring out of the deep 
Where the past lies buried forever 
And haunts all the world with the 
dream of its sleep. 



TENDEBNESS 

Tenderness ! Elysian nymph divine, 
Born of the rosy blush of myriad flowers 
Lingering midst fragrant, sunlit bowers, 
Pillowed in the bosom of their bloom, 
Wafted in the breath of their perfume. 

Thy star-crest sceptre, like a single ray 
Darting from heaven's soft, ethereal blue, 
Instills with wondrous touch an influx as 
Of fairy thrills to soothe a thorn-crowned 
heart. 



17 



PALM 

A gently rolling green is Palm, 
So peacefully serene and calm, 
Here dinted with dark wooded green, 
A native's barn there dots the scene, 
A white and woolly cloud on high 
Floats listless o'er the summer sky, 
Beneath whose soft ethereal blue 
The changing scene outspreads in view, 
While summer browses on the lay 
Till night scarfs up the dreaming day. 



18 



TO A FLOWER 

Thou tender little flower 
Peeping from shady bower, 
What secret bides thy star-like bloom 
That moves my soul to music power. 
Harmony sweet 
In sympathy meet, 
Wafted in perfume 
'er a laughing heather, 
Mingling us together. 

As I behold thy modest grace, 
And drink thy purple beauty, 
I slowly pass from time and place 
To move in pure, aesthetic space, 
Blest in the essence of your race, 
Far beyond the spheres. 



19 



FAIRY SONG 

Sunbeams are prancing 

Over the lea, 
Fairy loves dancing, 

Kisses are free. 

Breezes are blowing 

Silvery chimes ; 
Brooklets are flowing 

Purling with rhymes. 

Maybells are tinkling, 
Brimming with glee, 

Violets twinkling, 
Merry are we. 

Love, let us wander 
Lithesome and gay, 

Over the hills 
And far away! 



20 



FAIRYLAND 

Over the hills, Fancy is calling, 

Hark to the golden song. 
Dreams are astir in the bosom of nature — 

Come, let us go along. 

A little girl, with a golden curl, 
Is skipping with fanciful grace, 

A little boy, all laughing with joy, 
Is merrily giving the chase. 

They go dancing and prancing each other 
entrancing 

Till playfully hand in hand 
They descend to a valley, a beautiful valley, 

That fades into Fairyland. 



21 



FANTASY 

Out of the forest 

Comes skipping along 
A dancing fawn 

With airy song, 

And gathers the dew, 
The sparkling gem, 

To make for his love 
A diadem; 

And seeks the thin webs, 
O'er grasses spun, 

To form the light veils 
Of his lovely one. 

From petal to petal 
He darts and dares, 

Then suddenly starts 
And stands and stares, 

For there is a maiden 
So mythic and fair, 

With soft, blue eyes 
And golden hair, 

22 



Who plucks a Forget-me-not 

Tiny and blue, 
Twinkling Forget-me-not 

Brimming with dew. 

Then lowers her eyes, 

So soft and clear, 
Where suddenly trembles 

A sparkling tear; 

Where trembles a tear 
Of tenderest woes, 

And falls on the bloom 
Of a little wild rose, 

Where swift as a breeze, 
In a lithesome whirl, 

The little fawn darts 
And gathers the pearl ; 

For ne'er had he seen 
Such a beautiful gem — 

How sparkling 'twill be 
In his diadem. 



23 



AUTUMN NIGHT 

The frosty stars drip in the skies ; 
The brow of autumn lingers there, 
And moaning winds, in distant chase, 
Now pass like frowns o'er Autumn's face, 
While dancing leaves, like shadow creatures, 
Rustle o'er her changing features, 
And thoughts that haunt the night 
Like shadows, sadden at her sight; 
While dreams are chilled by gloomy sighs 
And sudden tears start to my eyes. 



24 



THE PLAY OF COLORS 

The forest old, the forest grim, 
Asleep and silent, reigns supreme, 

And pillowed on green twilight dim 
Great nature slumbers in a dream. 

Within the very labyrinth core, 

From depths of the antiquity, 
The aged majestic silence bore 

A weird, enhanced prodigy. 

Beneath the arch-leafed canopy 
Appeared in flittering noiseless tread 

A wondrous dancing fantasy — 
The ruby fairy veiled in red. 

Another came, the emerald queen, 
The sapphire fairy follows too; 

The one is garbed in flowing green, 
The other wears a filmy blue. 

They danced and danced and danced all three 

Upon the velvet forest bed; 
They danced and danced and danced all three, 

The flowing green, the blue, the red. 



25 



And hand in hand they danced a ring, 
Then broke the ring in sudden start, 

And each in turn began to sing 
In soft strains of a dreaming harp. 

Ruby 

Ored, 
Bright red. 

Emebald 

green, 
Mild green. 

Sapphire 

blue, 
So true. 

Ruby 

My sisters, sweet sisters of blue and of green, 
The red fairy Ruby of colors is queen. 
For red is the brightest and red the most 

glaring, 
For red is predominant, red the most flaring. 
Fire most fearful of elements known 
Roars crackling in furious red glowing tone. 
Health, greatest blessing and prayer of the 

weak 
Blooms when the ruby red glows in the cheek. 



26 



"lis only when sickly or dying or dead 
That limpid, pale blue is placed in its stead. 
For red is the foremost, is vigor, is life, 
It flows on the battlefield, flows in all strife. 
My sisters, dear sisters of blue and of green, 
The red fairy Ruby of colors is queen. 

Emekald 

Ah ! fairy Ruby, the green, the mild green 
Is far the most plentiful everywhere seen; 
For nature, thou sacred, thou awed and 

revered, 
Great mystic complexity wondrously weird; 
silent behest sway the almighty rod — 
Art power itself and revealer of God. 
And nature hath chosen to clothe in the 

green — 
The soothing Emerald should be our queen. 

Sapphike 

sisters, my sisters of red and of green, 
Let Sapphire convince that blue is your 

queen. 
So cast your eyes upwards the heavens to 

view, 
Thru green interwoven see twinkling the 

blue, 
Celestial blue, that envelops our earth, 



27 



From thine azure depths she was given her 

birth. 
Thou art the abode of the angels and God, 
While nature but echoes his Almighty nod. 
Eternal, thy choir resounds thru the main 
While earth in her turning but hums the 

refrain ; 
And the earth must be doomed when heaven 

her sever — 
The heavenly blue reigns forever and ever, 

The Ruby fairy glowed in red, 
In wrathful trend about to speak; 

A mild but wanton wind instead 
Arose to kiss each burning cheek. 

The veils then whirled upon the lay, 
The waning three, their purpose wean; 

Again in silence fade away 

The red, the blue, the flowing green. 



28 



BIRTH AND DEATH 

Star of the East and a new-born love, 
And the breath of the early morn; 

A pearl of dew 

And a kiss from you, 
And the bliss of things first born. 

Robes of the West and the setting sun, 
And the calm of the evening lay; 
A thought, untold, 
Of a soul grown old, 
And the peace of the passing away. 



TRES 

Morning star and the violet 
And the twinkle of thine eyes, 
'Tis beauty set in a triolet 

Of the exalted Light 
Of Paradise, 

From whence in azure flight 
It streams in treble guise. 
Morning star and the violet 
And the twinkle of thine eyes. 



29 



THE PEARL 

Sunbeams are sparkling on bright blue seas 

Like kisses of golden air, 
A mermaid is riding a foam crest wave 

And tosses her golden hair. 

She laughs to me brightly, and from her 
curled lips 

She throws me a foam-like kiss 
That plays in the breezes and floats along 

Like a bubble of dreaming bliss. 

As it falls on the sands of the glimmering 
shore 

It bursts and discloses to me 
The pearl I had given a love long ago 

On the eve she was carried to sea. 



30 



LOVE'S STAR 

In the crimson blush of the West I behold 

A silvery cloud unfold 
And open the portals into the skies, 

Faint with a glimmer of gold. 

A love in the time of my youth stands there, 
Like a dream that is faint and far, 

And she smiles as of yore as she holds in 
her hand 
The light of the evening star. 

The skies grow dim and she wanes from sight 
With the shadowy kiss of night, 

Yet I know that my love is still smiling on me, 
For the star in the West is bright. 



31 



TRIOLET 

Reach out into the blushing skies 
And pluck the sparkling star of love 
Where crimson dreams of youth arise. 
Reach out into the blushing skies 
Amidst thy dreams and realize 
The spark from Sacred Fires above. 
Reach out into the blushing skies 
And pluck the sparkling star of love. 



LIEBE 

Die Rose muss verbliihen Kind 
Und du musst auch vergehen, 

So schmiede dich der Liebe an 
Und ziih auf Berges Hohn. 

Wo Gottes Licht und Menchen Herz 

Rein in einander gehen, 
Dort pflege sie, nur sie allein, 

Denn Lieb bleibt ewig schon. 



32 



THE SINGER 

In the green of dewy mosses 
Sings a golden- winged canary 
In a golden sun-beamed tremor 
To a dreaming fairy. 

The canary loves the fairy, 
By her dreaming grace is taken, 
And he sings more beautifully 
That she might awaken. 

And the fairy smiles in dreaming, 
By the golden song is taken, 
And she smiles more beautifully 
But will not awaken. 

Comes a princely fay a-wooing 
Wakes her with his nectared kisses 
Till away with him she flitters 
Nor the song she misses. 

So the poet charms the dreaming 
Of a loved one with his art, 
But himself is not a sharer 
Of that loved one's heart. 



33 



MEMOEIES 

Pale moonbeams thru the lattice pierce the 
shade, 

Lay bare, in flickering sheen of mellow grade, 
A fond remembrance of the past, 
Love's token old in moonshine cast. 

It wakes forgotten memories of the sage, 
Long slumbering, in the hallowed years of 
age; 
Its fitful breathing sets aglow 
The ashen realms of long ago. 

'Tis like a fairy tale till now untold, 
Rumored, unheard, in golden days of old, 

Which from its sepulcher, the real, 

In resurrection seems ideal. 

Now in a glorious cloud of crimson hue 
They rise, moulding once more youth's scenes 
anew, 
Then fade into the Orient, 
Where youth is wrought and youth is 
spent. 



34 



One fiery tint, swept by a stifling wave, 
Mem'ries for evermore have found their 
grave. 
The moonbeams slowly o 'er have past, 
The aged sire has breathed his last. 



35 



SONG OF ROMEO 

The skies are sunny and blue, the flowers 

shake their dew 
Into the summer winds that softly sigh 
for you 
And bring me sweet wild dreams — 

Art thou whispering, love? 
The summer winds bring sweet wild 
dreams. 

The shores are grey where mingle the 

spirits of the ocean; 
Its foamy bosom murmurs like divine 
emotion, 
Murmurs in my dreams — 
Art thou singing, love? 
The ocean murmurs in my dreams. 

Now the evening bells are ringing, o 'er the 

distant mountain crest 
The crimson clouds are blushing in the 
golden west, 
Are blushing in my dreams — 

Art thou dreaming, love? 
The clouds are blushing in my dreams. 



36 



The myriad stars are twinkling, the crescent 

of the moon 
Sheds silver veils o 'er forests where mythic 
sylvans croon, 
Crooning in my dreams — 
Oh, Juliet, 
My Juliet; 
Her sylvans crooning in my dreams. 

So nature in her glory of scenic majesty, 
Unveils a world of visions thru the thought 
of thee, 
Unveils a world of dreams — 

Thy soul 
Unveils a hidden love in dreams. 



37 



LOVE LOST BENEATH THE DEEP, 

DEEP SEA 

Yonder, on a promontory 
Flooded with the mellow glory 
Of the evening's western glare, 
Stands a maiden, lone and fair. 

Stands a maiden — lone, supreme — 
Looking o'er the ocean's breast, 
Beyond the far horizon's gleam, 
Deep into the blushing west. 

Deep into the blushing west, 

Into eternal realms of rest, 

Where lives the love — the love that she 

Had lost beneath the deep, deep sea. 

Love lost beneath the deep, deep sea, 
Yet harbored on a crimson shore, 
Safely in eternity, 
And there awaits her evermore. 

There awaits her evermore, 
Where songs in crimson floods outpour 
In grand Elysian serenades 
Till in the west the glory fades. 



38 



In the west the glory fades; 
Yonder looms the evening star, 
Prophet of approaching shades, 
Marching slowly o 'er the bar. 

Shadows marching o'er the bar 
Draw the pale and stately car 
Of their queen, the silvery moon, 
Eising as the shadows swoon. 

Rising as the shadows swoon 
Into dark monotony; 
Now, with streaming reins, the moon 
Yokes the bosom of the sea. 

Oh! the bosom of the sea 
Streaked with streams so silvery, 
From the trembling sheen's embrace, 
See it rise, a mystic grace. 

See the form — a mystic grace — 



Dream of yore and evermore. 
Love, 'tis love yon tender trace — 
How it beckons to the shore! 

See it beckons to the shore, 
To the maiden on the shore, 
Who, enchanted, clinging tight, 
Swift descends the moonlit height. 



39 



Down the rugged and moonlit height 
Wild her eyes, her very soul, 
The raven hair in pallid light — 
Soon she gains the rocky shoal. 

Out and o'er the rocky shoal 
Far — far to the waning goal 
To join the love, the love that she 
Had lost beneath the deep, deep sea. 



40 



THE SHEPHERD'S SONG 

I took the strands of golden hair 
Once gathered from my love, 

And on some purple violets 
A golden harp I wove. 

And when 'twas done a zephyr's wing 
That fanned the flowery lea 

Upon my little harp did play 
A golden melody. 

And as the soft strands floated by 
A voice sang sweet and low, 

come to me, come to me, 
For still I love you so. 



41 



THE WANDERER 

The wanderer comes home again, 

'Tis after many years, 
And what a strangeness greets him now 

As he the old home nears. 

Where are those flowery fields and lanes ? 

Gone is the old homestead. 
The friends that were, are strangers now, 

And Elenore has wed. 

Sadly, then, he turns away, 
For love is no more there; 

In tears he seeks his mother's grave, 
There kneels in silent prayer. 



42 



WAR-TIME LULLABY 

When the moon is softly gleaming, 
Softly gleaming on the ocean — 
Sleep ! my pretty babe, sleep ! 
While the heart is fondly dreaming, 
And the soul is all emotion — 
Sleep ! my pretty babe, sleep ! 
Tho thy father comes no more, 
Ah ! no more, 
Close thine eyes my little one, 
Close thine eyes 
And sleep. 

When the winds are lonely blowing, 
Lonely blowing o'er the shoal — 
Sleep ! my pretty babe, sleep ! 
And a longing comes a-flowing, 
Comes a-flowing from my soul — 
Sleep ! my pretty babe, sleep ! 
Tho thy father comes no more, 
Ah! no more, 
Close thine eyes my little one, 
Close thine eyes 
And sleep. 



43 



JAMAHO 

I am softly swooning to sleep, Jamaho; 
I shall never awake again, 
And I fear — ah ! I fear that my soul 
Shall be mingled and whipped in the foams 
of the Main, 

To the blush of a rose 
Or the light of a star, 
To the music that flows 
From the ocean bar. 
So linger awhile on my lips, Jamaho, 
I shall never again for you pine. 
Ah ! leave me not Love, till my soul 
Shall mingle and dawn like a sunrise on thine. 



44 



LOVE 



THE KISS OF LOVE 

Evening has crossed the golden bar, 

A lone star sails above, 
Two children drink the nectar 

Of their first true kiss of love. 

Upon their lips is mingled 

All music of their souls 
In concord — where a flighty dream 

Of golden age unrolls. 

For they were lovers ages past, 
Two souls blown in one breath, 

To love throughout all worlds to come, 
Through transient life and death. 



47 



HYMN OF LOVE 

Grant me, Lord, once to realize fully, 

Once unto all senses to bring 
The wealth of her love which unf oldeth to me 

Like the bounteous blossoms of spring, 
Lord, 

Like the bounteous blossoms of spring. 

For then shall I surely be pure, Lord, 
For then shall I surely be strong; 

And all that is good and true and eternal 
Shall flow from my soul like song, Lord, 
Shall flow from my soul like song. 



4$ 



COME, LOVE, LET US WANDER AWAY 

Come, love, let us wander away 
And mingle the song of our souls ; 

Let us sit in sweet rapture and listen 
As softly the music unrolls. 

Let us sit in sweet rapture and listen 
While the hour grows golden and fair, 

And a dream comes out of the west 
As the sun is setting there. 

Who knows what the morrow will bring, 
The morrow shall bring what it may, 

I only know that I love you 
And that you are mine today. 



49 



AUTUMN 

Autumn, tinged with sunsets, 
Charmed with pensive beauty, 
Mystic and majestic, 

Nature entrancing. 
Forests dim and festive, 
Purple vines and odors 
Copious with garlands 

Tinted romantic. 
Arbors rich and golden, 
Clustering fruits maturing, 
Fringed with leaves of russet 

Glowing fantastic. 

Under twining arches 
Love, her eyelids closing, 
All allured with mystic 
Moods of richest beauty, 
Seeks the kindred bosom. 
There the head resting, 
Resting devoted; 
There two souls blending, 
Blending like music, 
There the tears flowing, 
Flowing so softly 
Evermore grateful. 



50 



HER TOUCH 

0, touch not my hair so lightly, wind ! 
Nor whisper so sweet in my ear ! 
Too dear, too dear, 
The dream you awake. 
0, touch not my hair so lightly, wind ! 
Nor whisper so soft in my ear! 
Lest my heart break. 



STAR AND PEARL AND KISS 

The heavens are dreaming with sunset, 

And oh! for the star! 
The ocean is crooning with music, 

And oh! for the pearl! 
My spirit is blushing with love, 

And oh ! for the touch of your lips, 
Laughing girl! 



51 



LOVE 

Far, far across the bar 

In a purple sky a golden star — 

Love 

Strange, sunny lands in the evening shade, 
Strain of a harp and a serenade — 

Love 

A murmuring zephyr from fairyland blows 
And mildly kisses the blushing rose — 

Love 

Midsummer night in a moonlit vale 
And the song of a lonely nightingale — 

Love 

4 

Aetherial Thought with purity pearled 
That the wings of the world unfurled — 

Love. 



52 



SECRET 

A secret sweet and rare 
Within my heart abides, 
And no one knows 'tis there , 
For like Elfins shy at sunrise, 
So it darts and hides. 

But when I think of thee, 

My sweet, my lovely one, 

I set my secret free, 

And my soul glows like the sunset, 

My heart, the setting sun. 



53 



LOVE 

Spring breathes on the harp of Eden 
Her aeolian madrigal; 
And nature is greening and flowering 
As softly the melodies fall. 

Love tenderly breathes on my heart-strings, 
My soul with music glows ; 
Through the mystical halls of my Being, 
Life beautifully flows. 



LOVE'S KISS 

The dawn, 

The rosy skies, 

And all at once — the star of morn. 

The hush, 

The maiden's blush, 

And like the star — love's kiss is born. 



54 



THE CHERRY BLOSSOMS ARE 
FALLING 

The cherry blossoms are falling like snow- 
flakes 

Through the deep silence of the night, 

And the soft turf is becoming all white and 
fragrant 

Surely my beloved is lying down to sweet 
sleep. 



WHEN DAWN IS BREAKING 

Oh! would thou wert sleeping, 
As even thou art, 
(So rosy and golden) 
Content, at my heart ! 



55 



UNTO THEE 

Sacred, within an ancient temple, 

Lonely, 
A torch burns. 

Silent and dark my chamber — dearest, 

Only, 
My soul yearns. 



AT SUNSET 

The wanderer enters the temple of prayer, 
And I the presence of my beloved. 



56 



THOUGHT 



BROTHERS ! 

Let us fling open wide the portals of our 

breast — 
Dumb reason far too much the finer moods 

controls — 
Let us sing out the songs within ourselves 

repressed, 
And like the wanton winds that blow from 

out the west, 
So let us mingle more the music of our souls. 
For when I know thee as thou art, and thou 

me, 
Then life shall be more beautiful, and love 

more free. 



MY SONGS 

My songs no more re-echo 
My infinite devotion, 

Than does a tiny sea-shell 
The music of the ocean. 



59 



BUILD ME A HUT 

Build me a hut within primeval woods, 
Far, far away from the too busy scene 
And greed of life. There let me live my day 
Amid the musings of a muse divine, 
Whose spirit, breathing softly thruout all, 
Plays nature like a great seolian harp 
And sweetly sings of the eternity. 

thou, my soul, here rend the mortal bonds, 
That keep thee bound, and join the rhythmic 

trend 
Of nature, blending all into the great 
Ecstatic weirdness of her harmony, 
Of which thy self art but a part. 



60 



MOOD 

0, the longing that steals thru my soul ! 

And the mood of infinity ! 
When the night winds sweep over the shoal 

And pass far over the sea. 

0, would that my soul could follow, 

And mingle with storms of the ocean 

Or, steeped in the infinite calm, 
Join its eternal emotion! 



WHEN NlGHT WINDS SWEEP ACROSS 

THE SHOAL 

When night winds sweep across the shoal, 

Far, far out to sea, 
0, for a kindred bosom and soul 

That never again shall be ! 



61 



THE FIRST OF MAN 

I 

The ages come and go, and man must die. 
He was a wanderer the hills thruout, 
And looked upon the great ethereal sky 
In thoughtless mien, in vague and careless 

doubt. 
To him 'twas but a blue expanse, a space 
For sun and moon and stars in rhyme to pace, 
And nothing more. 

His journey, as it seemed to him, had waned 
From the indefinite, to wane again 
Into the deep indefinite. Alone he reigned; 
So must he go, he knew not where, to feign 
A life for living's sake — doomed to end 
When clay, transformed, again to clay would 

blend, 
And nothing more. 

II 

Then as he slowly made his way, he came 
Upon a sparkling stream, whose pearling 

song 
Imbued the shades that ages cast, the same 
Thru which he wandered — none can tell how 

long. 



62 



And lying down beside the music stream 
Was steeped in sleep, and dreamed a won- 
drous dream. 

Ill 

And in this wondrous dream he seemed to 

see 
Into the deep depths of infinity, 
From whence broke forth, as from a cloud 

of night, 
A faint and feeble radiancy of light. 

And in its midst appeared a form more 

bright — 
A source of glory — from itself it flings 
The rays which, in a fluctuating flight 
Outline a pearly-brilliant pair of wings. 

Now from infinity it seems to make 
Approach, and, drawing near as shades 

disperse, 
Grows brighter, brighter and with trembling 

wake 
The holy Light sweeps thru the universe. 
'Tis coming on in swift and swifter flight ; 
The essence of all power in a breath 
Sweeps o'er him now — Drink of immortal 

light ! 
O fainting ecstacy! Departing death! 



63 



IV 

He wakes, he clutches at his breast, 
Then wildly stares, stares to see 
The fleeting of the dream — the dream, 
The dream — 'tis gone. How still the forest! 
0, what wondrous calm and majesty 
Besets its stately silence! 

V 

Low, faint and low, a voice — 

'Tis like a murmur from the deep; 

A warning that thru unborn ages 

Rises from within the breast 

And renders the celestial 

Immortality the subject of 

This life — 'tis Conscience — Conscience; 

Now it speaks; he hears, and having 

Heard, so shall he hear it 

Evermore. He is the first of man. 



64 



EGO 

You ask me, friend, what means my life to 

me? 
I say it means the ever-growing joy 
Spent in the better growing of all self; 
In crystallizing thought and bosom flames 
Into an all containing One and Passion; 
Into a singleness of sacred fire, 
That in the chaos of a light beyond 
Shall gleam in undivided radiancy — 

A soul! 

I gather from myself the crimson petals 

To form the sacred rose 

Of everlasting bloom. 
I conjure from myself the music notes 

To form the gamut of 

Eternal harmony. 



65 



THE TRUTH 

I sat alone one wintry night 

And pondered over death, 
And wondered if I still would live 

After earthly breath. 

I questioned all religious thought, 

And from my early youth 
I studied all philosophies 

And longed to know the truth. 

While thus in thoughtful revery, 
I heard a sudden rapping, 

And thru the door and over the floor 
A phantom form came tapping. 

"I am the voice of Truth," it said, 

"And come in secrecy 
To tell you what you long to know 

Of the eternity." 

A momentary thrill of joy 

Went thru me like a dart, 
But, just before the voice would speak 

A chill came to my heart. 

I started, scarcely knowing why, 

I bid the phantom go, 
Then slowly turned aside — somehow 

I did not want to know. 



66 



A VISION 

'Twas evening of the Sabbath day, 
The church bells everywhere 

Were ringing out into the world — 
It was the time for prayer. 

Out in the west, a magic glow 
Imbued the skies, enticed, 

As on a little trembling cloudlet 
Rose the form of Christ. 

He viewed with calm, majestic eye 
The steeples that were raised 

O'er all the land to honor Him; 
He heard His glory praised. 

There was the victory of the cross, 
And yet as He looked down 

On many a place of Worship there, 
I saw Him slowly frown, 



67 



And with a frown He passed away. 

I gazed, and wondered why, 
When lo ! a hand reached from nowhere 

And wrote upon the sky: 

"And Jesus went into the temple of God 
and cast out all them that sold and bought 
in the temple, and overthrew the tables of 
the money-changers and the seats of them 
that sold doves/ ' 



68 



THE WORTHLESS 

How many mortals sing to God their praise, 
And strive only to do His great behest, 
Not in the love for his appointed ways 
By which this life itself would be more 
blessed, 

That each might sow and reap some golden 

grain, 
Each pluck the clustering grape and drink 

some wine, 
Returning thus to golden age again, 

But just because, when death dims mortals ' 

eyes, 
These hope, with utter selfishness, to drink 
Eternal happiness in paradise ! 



69 



ETERNITY 

Again it is midnight, again I can hear 
Those soft, stealthy footsteps that thrill 

me with fear; 
Footfalls of time as they steal to the grave, 
In ceaseless eternity steal to the grave. 

Eternity! why do I shudder and falter, 
Since ages on ages must pale at thy altar. 
Yet ages are wrought 
In the force of soul thought, 
And I am their measure and not sacrificed, 
My altar alone is a vision of Christ. 



70 



THE ATHEIST 

The raging storm had cleared, and in the west 
A sudden fiery sunset breaking through 

Enriched the soft and woolly fringed breast 
Of folding clouds with gorgeous crimson 
hue. 

He stood upon those shores, storm-swept; 
His mein was sad and dark — his inner 
breast 
A tomb where self had buried self unwept ; 
He viewed the west — he struggled and 
suppressed. 

He would deny yon glory, lest the trust 
Dispel the night where atheism crept; 
But, Oh, the inner voice — the conscience 
thrust — 
His soul would speak, and like a child he 
wept. 



71 



WALK WITH THY GOD 

Walk with thy God ; and in the inmost 
Temple of thy being 
Build Him an altar there. 

One power wields and conquers all — 
And that's a strong soul's prayer. 



PRAYER 

And there is one God over all 
Whose scepter sways all life; 

And the soul that's strongest in its prayer 
Stands victor in the strife. 



72 



PEAYER 

The world is writhing in the pangs of war. 
Everywhere about me is pain and suffering, 
Nothing but war, war, war, 
My own people have raised their banners, 
And with gleaming sword are marching off 

to war, 
Nothing but war, war, war. 

Yet I refuse to take part, 

To march against mankind, 

To kill. 

This is Thy will, God, 

As Thou hast made it manifest in me; 

This is Thy word. 

I hear it clear and strong, 

It sings in my soul like a trumpet call at 
dawn. 

And I cannot but obey. 

God, help me be fearless and strong in 

the dictates of my soul. 
Let me not be swayed by the tumult of the 

multitudes ; 
Let me not yield to the tread of marching 

armies 
And glitter of gleaming swords and the cries 

of false glory; 



73 



Let me not grow faint in the scoff and scorn 

of a people, 
Nor the threats of those who lead, 
But help me be patient and fearless and 

strong, 
For Thy light shines clear, 
And it sings in my soul like a trumpet 
call at dawn, 
And I cannot but obey. 

God, Thou wilt not forsake me. 

Amen. 



74 



OTHER POEMS 



LIFE AND DEATH 

I 

One night, while seated at my window, 
And feeling strange and weird, 

Far down the road, where shines the moon, 
Two wondrous forms appeared. 

The one in black was haggard 

And hideous to see ; 
The other robed in flowing white 

Was winged and heavenly. 

And side by side they came along; 

A chill went over me 
As they passed by — two ministers 

Of the eternity. 

II 

The room is small and dim ; a woman, 

Sick in bed, lies moaning, 
While on the floor a wounded soldier 

Painfully lies groaning. 

The soldier slowly droops his head, 

He gasps, and as he dies, 
Upon the mother's breast an infant 

Utters first-born cries. 



77 



HOW MANY AND MANY A GOLDEN 

HOUR 

How many and many a golden hour 

Of idle sweet dreams have I lavished upon 

thee; 
The soul pouring forth, in a diademed 

shower, 
Visions on visions that templed thy bower, 
Until the sweet fires of youth burnt low 
And the dream-flame flickered in dying glow. 

And now it is gone and it leaves me outcast — 
Nothing done in the world — and I shrink 

from the blast, 
As I stir in dream-ashes for sparks of the 

past. 

But again I were rather, if reborn to prime, 
A martyr outstretched on the altar of time 
For the care-free romancer of realms fancy- 
seen 
With great rainbow castles and thou as my 
queen. 



78 



THE COTTAGE BY THE SEA 

How the wind howls thru the night, 
Sweeping on in witch-winged flight 
O'er rock-rugged shores, then out, far out 
to sea, 
Moaning in its might, 
Groaning at its height 
Round the cottage by the sea. 

It rattles on the window pane, 
And thru the door it seeks to gain — 
Like some forboding evil of the sea 
Wailing thruout the main — 
An entrance seeks to gain 
Into the oottage by the sea. 

A mother pale and sick in bed, 

A little child kneels by the stead, 

The father for the night has gone to sea. 

That dim, low light of dread 

About the room is shed 

Within that cottage by the sea. 



79 



The faintest smile, a waning ray, 
Steals o'er the mother's face. She lay, 
Life ebbing, while the storm raged out at sea. 

0, hear the sweet child pray, 

In simple prayer pray 
There, in the cottage by the sea. 

0, hear the winds sweep o'er the shoal! 

They moan, they shriek without control. 
O, pray, sweet child ! now far, far out to sea 
They to thy father roll 
And bear thy mother's soul 

From thee, now lonely by the sea. 



80 



ALL IS SILENT 

All is silent — strange the light — 
A clock is striking far away; 
I sit alone, while swift the night 
Steals on and wraps me in its sway. 

My thoughts go back to one now sleeping 
In the moonbeams' silvery sheen, 
Streaming like the tears of weeping 
Angels, near, yet all unseen. 

Wan, elfin spirits flitting by, 
In sylvan veils and night array, 
Into the window peep and cry — 
Tomorrow is her wedding day. 

They marvel at her sweet, pale face, 
They wonder at her streaming hair, 
And suddenly, distinct to trace, 
A form in robes of white stands there. 

A winged form, stately, tall ; 
It lifts the sword that frees the soul. 
The elfins fade and now fades all — 
Oh, God! what means that distant knoll? 



81 



THE MUSIC OF THE DEAD 

Midnight came and all were asleep, 
The winds blew bleak and bare ; 

The moonlight flooded the chambers below, 
A coffin, white-shrouded, stood there. 

The sheen of the moon began slightly to 
tremble, 
As if something had stirred its repose, 
And the shroud on the coffin began to 
upraise, 
While the dead one beneath it arose. 

Arose in the form of a beautiful youth, 
Like a statue of marble display, 

A youth who had hoped to sway souls 
with his music, 
But died at the break of day. 

Then slowly he moved thru the great, 
silent halls, 

And never a sound he made 
As he took from the walls his favorite harp 

On which he so often had played. 



82 



And there in the moonlight his white, 
wasted fingers 
Softly the harp strings stirred, 
While tones of such wonderful music 
came forth 
As never a mortal had heard. 



So wild and so sweet with harmonic 
discordance, 
So thrilled with a tremulous wail, 
That those who were sleeping in chambers 
above, 
They smiled in their sleep and grew pale. 

More wondrously trembled the tones with 
enchantment, 
More weirdly they thrilled the halls thru, 
While those that were sleeping more 
heavenly smiled 
And paler and paler they grew. 

Among them a child, with bright, golden 
locks, 
In sleeping raised slowly her head, 
And held out her hands as to something 
before her, 
Then swooned and fell back to her bed. 



83 



Then suddenly ceased all the music — the 
tones 
Died away like a haunted breath. 
The player stole stealthily back to the 
coffin, 
And all became silent as death. 

Then morning dawned and the sun arose 
With its rays of golden and red, 

But those that were sleeping, they never 
awoke, 
Not even to bury the dead. 



84 



ONE NIGHT 

One night an awful vision thrilled 
The slumbering chambers of my soul. 
A mad youth chased a fleeting maiden 
O'er a night enchanted shoal, 
Where the spirits of the ocean 
Breathed a melancholy knoll. 

He caught her flying tresses, 
He seized her tangled hair; 
She fell upon her knees 
And pleaded in despair, 
As with his soul's behest 
A blade flashed in the air, 
A moment trembled there, 
Then sank into her breast. 

The moon rocked in the skies, 
The seas began to moan, 
The stars fell from their orbits, 
The earth shook in a groan, 
When black night like a pall 
Fell suddenly o'er all. 



85 



From the abyss of night 
A wail of agony, 
A faint and distant wail 
Of human agony 
Arose, and, quailing, fell 
Upon the silent spell. 
Then Lucifer swept by 
And took a soul to hell. 



86 



ONE OF A THOUSAND 

(A translation from a German poem) 

My son! — is he dead? I scarce grasp the 

meaning, 
I stare at the message as tho I were dreaming. 

My boy, my dear boy, my comfort and light, 
His laughing eyes, so blue and so bright. 

He beheld me so proudly, so soldierly stern, 
"Have courage, dear mother, for soon I'll 
return. 

1 i How long will it be ? A year at the most. 
Then shall we come home a victorious host. 

i ' The golden laurels shall then be possessed, 
The Cross of Iron adorning my breast. 

"No foe shall then ever our dear home 

destroy, 
Mother, the fatherland calls for your boy. 

"One of a thousand, console thyself too, 
For thousands of mothers must suffer like 
you. 

"Millions of sons the great call obey, 
Hundreds have bled and passed away. ' y 



87 



My boy, my dear boy, my comfort and light, 
Thy laughing eyes, so blue and so bright; 

And now they are closed, and thy lips too 

are pale, 
And thou buried deep in a foreign vale, 

With the Iron Cross, which in burning zest 
You sought, now adorning thy bleeding 
breast. 

You bade me, "Weep not with such bitter 

emotion- 
One of a thousand — a drop in the ocean.' ' 



88 



WHERE SAFFRONED FANCIES 
WILDLY SWAYED 

Where saffroned fancies wildly swayed 

O'er dream-sea Muryamat, 
Midst orient charms, there dwelt a maid 
That on the harp of Omar played 

And sang the Rubiayat. 

Her beauty mingled with her song 

That spread dream-like o'er Zephyrus' wing, 

And crimsoned mildly everything, 

As first when Phaeton's chariot 
Into the new-born skies did fling 

The blush of Roseate. 

The Sylvans combed her raven hair, 
Long silken strands of night; 

Her eyes — what spirit sparkled there — 
Her cheeks were ivory white, 

Soft glowing, when the passions rose, 
Like cheeks of purest snows 
Flushed with an eastern light. 

As morning once with orient wings 

Unfurled the first of day, 
While dew still clung to flowers' lips 

And perfumed morning's lay, 
I found me lingering by her side, 

I heard her softly sing, 



89 



1 * Pluck kisses from my ruby lips 
While bloom and beauty last; 
Like glories of a passing day 
Fade away, fade away 
Into night, 
Forever. 
So I pass, naught can delay, 
For joys ne'er tarry on their way 
Toward night, 
Forever. ' ' 

I felt the charm, the wondrous thrill, 
The fire of heart and soul and will, 

The sudden chill. 
And long I viewed that bloom and beauty, 

With the soulless thought it clad; 
I wondered, suddenly turned away, 

Infinitely sad. 



90 



THE BROKEN LILY 

They used to stroll thru yon far glen 
Where dreamy waters flow, 

And Cypress trees with purple shades 
By water-lilies grow. 

She was a tender blue-eyed girl 

Of light romantic glow. 
He loved her for her chastity, 

(He often told her so). 

A water-lily pure as snow 

Grows where two lovers stray ; 

1 ' Thy soul is far more pure, ' ' said he, 
"Why do you turn away?" 

A water-lily white as snow 

Sighs where two lovers tread. 

1 i Thy soul is far more white, ' ' said he, 
"Why do you bow your head?" 

One night a little girlish form 
Stole to a moonlit river, 

And broke the lily from its stem, 
Then disappeared forever. 

At morning came a happy youth 

To greet the lily's sigh, 
But saw it broken from the stem — 

Long he wondered why. 



91 



A MOTHER'S BIRTHDAY 

Bring sunshine, gather flowers and be gay, 
Give thanks while heaven's blessings o'er us 

sway, 
For mother is just forty years today. 
Behold our grateful glow, 
mother dear, 
We love you so. 

Ring forth in forty chimes birthday bells, 
Sweetly betokening the love that swells 
Our hearts and in our hearts forever dwells. 
They ring that you may know, 

mother dear, 

We love you so. 

With festive splendor we all honor you, 
Greetings, sincere, our hearts impart to you, 
And throbbing, weave a sacred wreath for 
you. 
Our only meaning tho, 
Is mother dear, 
We love you so. 



92 



While tides of tender thoughts within us rear, 
A little spray, too high, becomes a tear 
That, trembling, faintly breathes we hold 
thee dear. 
Again it breathes, so low, 
mother dear, 
We love you so. 

Just forty years, rejoice in merry lore 
And sing a song, live, live, live forty more, 
While hearts in silent tones add yet a score. 
Their souls their trumpets blow, 
mother dear, 
We love you so. 



93 



HER BIRTHDAY 

September hovered o'er the lay 
And held the dismal scepter sway, 

Faded the summer's glow; 
Whilst withered leaves bedecked the earth, 
A floweret yet was given birth, 

Seventeen years ago. 

Whilst dreary zephyrs mourned the hewn 
And murmured death-songs o'er the 
strewn, 

No more the summer's glow; 
A freshness, soul imbued, arose 
To smile away their dismal woes, 

Seventeen years ago. 

The autumn sorrows, queenly, swoon; 
Heavenly rays now pierce the gloom, 

Blessings on thee bestow 
And angels ' kisses o 'er thee pour 
As they had kissed thee once before, 

Seventeen years ago. 



94 



OLD COLLEGE HALL 

Old College Hall, romantic pioneer 
Of learning ! Art imbued with lasting lore 
And memories; art glorious in the store 
Of many a noble deed that knows no peer, 
Wrought by the spirit of youth. From year 

to year 
From out thy halls has poured, and still 

does pour, 
A mighty tide of men sweeping from shore 
To shore, the world around, to sway, to rear 
The grand, continuous march of culture — 

Stand, 
Long stand, thou walls with clinging ivy 

scanned, 
Which for a century and years upheld 
That institution opening to the soul 
Those treasuries wherein are stored 

unspelled, 
The great and wondrous powers of its Being. 



95 



CHRISTMAS NIGHT 

How still the night, holy night, caressed 
With slumbering breaths of scented paradise 
Wafting, divinely swayed, thru human breast 

Raising the fettered soul 
Nearer the starlight altars of the sky — 

The night of Christmas. 

Immortal chords from mortal bosoms rise 
In concord trailing visions of the soul ; 
The twinkling starry main of silenced skies 

Resound the soft refrain, 
And " Peace on earth good-will towards 
men,'' extol — 

The night of Christmas. 

What lofty ardor swells in binding ties 
From heart to heart, and every burden 

spends ; 
Thy noblest thoughts gleam in thy brother's 
eyes 
And finds expression there. 
How dear our home and hearth, how dear 
our friends — 
The night of Christmas. 



96 



MIDNIGHT AND THE BRIGHT FULL 

MOON 

Midnight — and the bright full moon 
Creeps slowly behind a cloud; 
O'er yonder graveyard's cold, grey stones 
There steals a dark and gloomy shroud. 

As in a trance, a ghastly thing — 
Like in the night a foam-crest wave — 
Looms up and on a bleak, white harp 
It weirdly chants, "I am the grave." 

"Ye that fear me 
Come not near me; 
Come not near 
If you fear; 
'Tis the guilt 
Thou hast spilt 
O'er thy soul; 
Purge thy soul. 
List, I am the key 
To the eternity." 



97 



"Ye that fear not, 
Ye that rear not, 
Nor appall 
At my call, . 
Here unfold 
To behold 
All the glory 
Of my story. 
List, I am the key 
To the eternity.' 9 



98 



THE MISER 

I 

The miser, aged and bearded, sat 

By flickering candle-light 
And fingered gold coins one by one, 

And chuckled with delight. 

And as he viewed his glittering hoard, 
There came a haunted sound, 

As tho a phantom stirred the winds; 
The miser stared around. 

II 

1 ' Thou fearful ghost, thou hollow-eyed, 
Have we not met before? 
And who art thou, that thou dost enter 
Thru a bolted door? 

"Would'st steal from me the gold for which 
I've slaved so many a year? 
Avaunt, thou evil spirit! 

Thou hast no errand here." 



99 



Ill 

"Ha! Ha! thou fool! and what care I 
For all this golden store; 
Nay, I have come to take thy soul — 
Just this, and nothing more. 

"This gold for which thy life was spent, 
'Twill make a festive day; 
Come! haste! we dare not tarry now, 
He's calling us away." 



100 



CLASS POEM 

Central High School 
Class of February, 1914 

Classmates, now have we safely sailed the 

waters of the High School sea, 
Its bar is crossed and we are moored upon 

its shores of victory, 
That rise to strand our noble host and from 

whose coral-crested steep, 
With strained eye and ardent hope we scan 

the boundless worldly deep. 

Now on this strand, with hand in hand, 

behold your fellow, face to face; 
His whole expression's earnest tone, which 

time and years cannot erase ; 
And mold it, ne 'er to fade, in memory, where 

then in coming score 
It shall, in ideal vision, give expression to 

a time no more. 

How soon those years of youth's gay tremor, 
veiled in crimson, fringed in gold, 

Have pastured on life's budding green and 
passed into their misty fold! 

Wherein the evening of emotion, when a tran- 
quil mood sets sail, 

In great display and mellow numbers, o'er 
and o'er they'll tell their tale. 



101 



So breathe warm breaths of recollection, 

melting misty veils of time; 
View the glowing past and hear the music 

of its distant chime; 
How it mirrors every scene, and each reflects 

a prophecy — 
The past is bound up with the future, and 

reflects futurity. 

Those scenes, a little world themselves — who 

mistakes their guiding light? 
A thousand books known word for word, of 

school, afford not half their might. 
We hoard them up with miser care, like 

charms in fairy tales of old, 
That summon from a living inner riches far 

more rich than gold. 

All phases of an earnest life do they reveal 

in mild degree; 
We marked their first appearance like a 

night watch on a wondrous sea, 
And oft shall know them all too well in an 

untempered sway again. 
Yet should you fear? Why should you fear? 

You conquered here to breast their main. 



102 



Our trials, our frettings, there portrayed, 

and all our fervent hopes and fears 
Seek repetition, sharply hewn, of keener 

form in future years; 
As anvils clang the sinews grow, each time 

they bend a stronger shoe ; 
Once hast thou won to win again tho "re 

adversus" stronger grew. 

There sweep the waves that sought to wreck 

proud honor on their shameless shoal ; 
How they echo in the future as through ages 

on they roll ! 
From shores unseen the songs of Sirens, 

sweet on tempting wings are borne; 
They, too, will lure in song again, in vain, 

but to be laughed to scorn. 

Now loom the hours that tried the heart and 

burdened heavy every brow, 
Mere phantoms to discourage and to make 

the boldest spirit cow. 
Yet from their gliding silence steals again 

the voice that " Onward' ' cried, 
With "Onward" as a motto there, the gloomy 

sway was swept aside. 



103 



When flying time with bat-like wings again 
enshrouds your inner sight, 

Know 'tis but a passing shadow, cast to make 
life's joy more bright, 

In those shades there forms the dew to pearl 
thy path as thou progress, 

Their sparkling gamut murmuring e 'er, ' i On- 
ward, onward and success." 

Behold there still in fitful dance the spirits 

of every calling glow, 
Rising each to join its star — in folds their 

trailing glimmer flow 
And beckon sweetly — follow to the realms 

where myth and fancy perish, 
Where thou in full reality of thy endowment 

sown, shall flourish. 

And through it all still sounds once more a 
crimson trumpet's golden strain, 

That scattered lingering shades to clear the 
way for culture's marching train, 

Those final tones — List! how into low har- 
mony they blend, 

Echoing and echoing fore'er the wondrous 
word of friend. 



104 



For last days, like fiery breaths of Phoebus 

tinging western skies, 
Gathering the glory of a passing hour, there 

gave rise 
To waking of that finer sense, that incense 

breathed by friendship's lay, 
For friendship prompted every heart — now 

friendship holds the scepter sway. 

Who dares to leave these fostering walls that 

has no binding friendship made; 
Though steeped in honored depths of study, 

poorly, poorly he's repaid, 
His bosom, like a starless sky, is unknown to 

a higher birth, 
The cozy ardor of the breast, the warmth so 

priceless in its worth. 

But now, gone are the High School days, the 

friends, and with each passing year, 
That time in ceaseless flight unrolls, those 

days shall ever grow more dear; 
Locked in time's increasing chambered space 

to which there is no key, 
They shall remain as precious gems set 

deeply in our memory. 



105 



We leave thy peaceful walks, dear school, to 

join the whirling stream of life; 
To guard its posts, augment its welfare, and 

be leaders in the strife; 
To raise the worldly pedestal, to elevate the 

human seat, 
Ever mindful of the proverb, ' ' As thou sow- 

est thou shalt reap." 

So let us strive, that having striven, we '11 be 

worthy of her name ; 
Win for her respect in others, bring her 

honor, spread her fame. 
Dear old old High School — Alma Mater — 

thou whose motto is excel, 
From their innermost recesses, loyal sons 

bid thee farewell. 



106 



CLASS POEM 

Univebsity of Pennsylvania 
Class of June, 1917 

I 

0, the winds of the east and the winds of the 
west, 

They blow from the ends of the earth ; 
In the merriest weather they blew us together 

In the weather of laughter and mirth. 

II 

For we're all just good fellows who love the 
wide world, 
Good fellows, high hearted and true, 
Who've gathered once more in farewell to 
old Penn 
And the dear old Red and Blue. 

Ill 

Now the sailor who sails by the north star, 

He loves to tell of the sea; 
And the hunter who roves o'er the Ozark, 

Has a story of liberty. 

So, like the sailor and hunter, 

We, too, have a story to tell — 

Old Penn, happy days and bright faces, 
And the comrades we loved so well. 



107 



IV 

We have fought on the gridiron many a fight 
To make old Penn renowned, 

That her proud name in honor and fame 
O'er land and sea resound. 

When the scores were tie and the goal was 
nigh 
While cheers rose wild and free, 
We have fought with a will that is more than 
strength 
To bring her victory. 

Her banners weVe raised and unfurled on 
high 

With many a rousing song ; 
With huge bonfires and snake dance wild 

We Ve pledged them our faith full strong. 

Full oft have we marched them thru old 
Philly town 

While drums and bugles were loud ; 
Her banners are old, her banners are famed ; 

We have done our part and are proud. 

And then for the cozy nooks and haunts 
Where the hours were merry with funs, 

Where we've talked full wise and have 
criticized 
The way the old world runs. 



108 



Affairs of the state and problems of love, 

Life's mysteries and fates; 
You see 'twas all wrong till we came along 

And settled it in our debates. 

Then too, when the sun o'er the campus was 
setting 
With beauty and calm and rest, 
We sang old songs and dreamed proud 
dreams 
In the crimson skies of the west. 

'Twas here in our songs and our dreams and 
our hopes 

We found a comrade or two; 
And all that is great in the great, wide world, 

Is a comrade that's loyal and true; 
0, all that is great in the wide, wide world, 

Is a comrade that's strong and true. 

V 

But soon 'twill all fade like a fairy tale vision 
Of laughter and song and glory ; 

How may we bestow the great debt that we 
owe 
This vision — this happy story? 

0, not in the good wishes, and not in fine 
words, 

But just in the life that each leads; 
So, for this our life, we have builded a creed, 

And here is the way that it reads : 

109 



VI 

To walk in the light that's within us, 
Each one in his separate plan; 

With courage and freedom, with justice and 
kindness, 
Each doing the best that he can 

To the glory of God his creator 

And the good of his fellow-man. 

That the world be a summer dwelling, 
With a rainbow o'er land and sea, 

Where the hearts of men shall be happy, 
And the hearts of men shall be free, 

As once in the golden ages 

God dreamed that it all should be 

VII 

This to thee, dear Pennsylvania, 

To be worthy of thy name ; 
This to thee, proud Alma Mater, 

To thy honor and thy fame; 
Dear old Penn, proud Alma Mater, 

Great in honor and in fame. 



no 



THE TRAVELER 



THE TRAVELER 

SCENE I 

Sunset: among the Alps. Someone is singing) 
the tones draw nearer and become more distinct. 

Song 
Thy cheeks have the passion of sunset, 
Wild beauty lurks deep in thine eyes. 
I look upon thee — 
Sweet surprise! 
I look upon thee 
Ah, me! 
See, my spirit is lost in love. 

Thy rich, raven tresses are chasing 
The laughter that lurks in thine eyes. 
I would' I could flee — 

Sweet surprise! 
I would I could flee — 
Ah, me! 
See, my spirit is lost in love. 

Enter a traveler and a guide. The traveler 
is a tall, handsome man, about thirty-six years 
of age. His face is olive complexioned and 
smooth, and a faint smile seems to hover con- 
stantly about his lips. His movements are grace- 
ful and easy. The guide is a smaller man with 
weatherbeaten features, kindly eyes, and un- 
kempt mustache. 

113 



Guide 

Singing all the time ! 

Traveler 

And why not? You see, song makes me free. 
Song is the glorious liberator of the world 
From all the pains of sorrow and joy. 

Guide 

You certainly seem free; 
Have you traveled much! 

Traveler 

Over all the East, far into the East, 

Where much of the world has a fantastic soul ; 

A soul steeped in mystical delights; 

A soul that revels in rich dreams of canopied 

vineyards, 
And the graceful, yielding form — woman. 

(Looking toward the west.) 

What a weird sunset ! Such a grim and gloomy 
red! 

Guide 

I think a storm is coming up. 

Traveler 

A storm ! Devil take it ! 

And I wanted to see this part of the Alps by 
moonlight ! 

114 



Guide 

Perhaps you will anyhow ; 

,r Tis probably only a passing thunderstorm. 

I have often seen thunderstorm and moonlight 

At one and the same time up here. 

Traveler 

That's true. I recall one such occurrence in 

particular. 
But far from here, yet not so far. (chuckles) 
That was a night ! Hm ! 
Twelve — no, let me see — fifteen years ago. 
Whew ! how time does fly ! 

Guide 

Did it cause much havoc ? 

Traveler (half to himself) 

A wonderful creature, she! Wonderful! 

Full of the laughing glory of life, 

The color and music and sparkle, 

The kind which God breathes forth in an hour 

of delight. 

(Smiles; turns toward the west.) 

Look how that dull red is coloring the whole sky ! 

I've seen many a sunset in many a clime — 

Over the desert when the Arab prays 

And bows toward Mecca ; 

Over the Red sea after a sultry day — 

But nothing like that. 

Guide 

I imagine this creature and you made a fine 
romance. 

115 



Traveler (laughing) 

The romance came later — (more serious) 

You see my friend, it was she 

Who made a traveler of me — 

Or rather (with a bitter chuckle) it was he. 

Guide 
He! 

Traveler 

Her spouse — the fool! 

Guide (gives a low whistle) 

Oh, ho ! I see ! 

But just how did he make a traveler of you? 

Traveler 

By taking her life away. 

Guide 

Her life ! Ye gods ! 

Traveler 

Like this, see! (puts his finger to his throat) 

Guide 

By the Great Horn ! But what — ! How — ! 

Traveler (smiling) 

Sometimes it all flashes before me 
As tho it had been yesterday — but yesterday. 
We had spent the afternoon in the garden, 
Beautiful place — flowers, fountains, fauns — 
And during sunset we lingered in the portico. 
When the storm came up we went into the house 

116 



And sat upon the divan by the latticed window — 

That old window where we sat so often ; 

We watched the moon creep in and out the clouds 

And listened to the distinct rumbling of thunder, 

And I sang a low, sweet song, the selfsame 

Which I have just been singing — 

Hm! Then came that sudden and fearful 

thunder-crash ! 
Then he standing in the doorway 
And she, crouching in the corner, 
Her hair all down, and the moon, the great, 

white moon 

Full upon her 

God ! I can see it all as tho it were happening 

again ; 
I can see him moving slowly toward her 

Across the room 

(He stares vividly before him. His features 
become hard and constrained, and a slight 
twitching passes over them. They relax again; 
he gives a sigh of relief and laughs to himself. 
Looking toward the west.) 

Wonderful, how that streak of scarlet is breaking 

thru! 
Like a sudden flash of fire ! 

Guide 

What became of him. 

Traveler 

Nobody knows. 

He disappeared, and took with him his only 

child. 
She was but a few years old. 

117 



Nobody has ever heard of him since, 

Poor wretch! I suppose he's dead long ago. 

Come! let's be on our way. We want to reach 

the top 

Of yonder peak before dark. 

(Goes off wMstling a low tune. The guide, 
shaking Ms head, slowly follows.) 

SCENE II 

The living-room of a cottage in the Alps. In 
the back is a large fire-place, and on each side of 
this is a door. To the right is a large window 
and another door which opens into a forest. 
Almost in the center of the room is a wooden 
table which has evidently been made by hand. 
Several crude chairs are standing about. 

Upon the mantel-piece, over the fire-place, 
stands a cuckoo-clock and several grotesque 
figures of animals, carved out of wood, The 
walls are adorned with various antique trappings, 
sabers, daggers, buckles, furs of wild animals, 
guns, antlers of deer, etc. 

It is night-time. Upon the table burns a 
small lamp which casts a dim light about the 
room. Seated by the lamp is a man, over middle 
age, yet robust and strong, with rugged features 
and a great blonde beard. He is known as Osric. 
Upon a little stool at his feet is seated a young 
girl perhaps seventeen years of age, very pretty, 
with bright brown eyes and rich brown hair flow- 
ing in heavy curls about her shoulders. He calls 
her Silvia. 

118 



Osric (reading from a hook) 

Thereupon the prince married Griselle 
And built a great castle by the sea. 
He surrounded it with beautiful gardens 
Wherein grew only roses, red and white roses. 
Here they lived happy ever after. 

(Closes the book and lays it upon the table.) 
There, my darling! Our story is ended. 

Silvia 

But father, what becomes of poor little Minsette. 

Osric 

Little Minsette? Don't you remember how she 

was lost 
In the great snow-storm and never found again ? 

Silvia 

Yes, but was she really never found again. 

Osric 
Never. 

Silvia 

Ah ! poor little Minsette ! 

Osric 

Why ! I do believe you have tears in your eyes ! 
(laughing) 

Come, my darling ! 

How very sweet and foolish you are! 

Come! it is bed-time. 

119 



Silvia (pleading) 

Father, do read another story, just one more. 

Osric 

The next story is too long for tonight. 

(Takes up the book and counts the pages.) 

Yes, it is too long. Well read it tomorrow night. 
It is the story of Rapunzel with the golden hair — 
Hair which was so long, 
That it reached from the top of a high tower to 

the ground. 
Each evening a prince would come 
And climb to the top of the tower upon it 
And visit her. 

Silvia (eagerly) 

And what happened then? 

Osric (laughing) 

Come, my pretty one! His bed-time. 

(He smooths her hair and fondly caresses her. 
She rises and goes slowly toward the door to the 
left.) 

Osric 

And are you not going to kiss me good-night t 

Silvia 

I'll be back, (disappears) 

Osric (smiling and brushing a tear from his 

eyes) 

Sweet little creature ! 

(He becomes lost in meditation. Suddenly, a 
distant singing breaks thru the stillness of the 

120 



night. It is the song of the traveler. Osric 
rises slowly and strangely from his chair, and 
stares before him in an attitude of strained at- 
tention. He trembles slightly, then straightens 
up as to contain himself. Then he hastens 
quickly to the window and listens; he goes to 
the door, opens it, and disappears into the dark- 
ness. The singing ceases. After a few moments 
he returns again into the room, wipes his brow, 
and drops into his chair and becomes once more 
steeped in r every.) 

Silvia, dressed in her night-gown, comes in 
and steals softly over to him, puts her hands 
over his eyes and kisses him. 

Silvia (softly) 

Goodnight father. 

(She is about to run off again, but he catches 
her by the arm, and begins to stare pecu- 
liarly at her. Silvia, half frightened, lets her- 
self down at his feet. His stare becomes more 
and more intense.) 

Silvia 
Why, father ! 

Osric (taking her head in his hands and slowly 
leaning toward her.) 

The eyes! The hair! The very face! (a low 
moan) 

Silvia 

Father! Father! (begins to tremble and sob) 

121 



Osric (rousing himself from his trance he sud- 
denly snatches her into his arms, presses her 
convulsively to his breast and kisses her 
many times.) 

There, my child! My sweet one! My lovely 
one! 
(Looks at her again and laughs.) 

Ah ! what a foolish fancy ! What a foolish fancy ! 
(Smoothing her hair.) 

Aye foolish! 

There now, to bed my little daughter 

And sleep snugly till morning sun peeps in 

And laughs upon her and wakes her up again. 

Silvia 

Are you not coming also ? 

Osric 
Later. 

Silvia 

Why do you not come now? I wish you would 
father. 

Osric 

But why, my child ? 

Silvia 

I do not know. 

Osric 

Come! don't be foolish. 

See, I shall stay up and watch over you. 

122 



(Silvia rises and goes toward the door; she 
hesitates and runs back to him again and 
huddles closely to him.) 

Silvia 

Father, I — I am afraid. 

Osric 

Afraid? Afraid of what, my child? 

Silvia 

I do not know. 

(She carefully avoids looking him in the 
face) 

Osric 

Come! Come! You are only afraid that you 
will dream evil dreams like you did the 
other night. 

No, no ! See, I will watch over you. (kisses her) 

There ! 

(She rises, makes a few steps, but once more 
returns and buries her face at his breast.) 

Silvia 
Father ! 

Osric 

Silvia ! I do not understand ! 

Come ! have you done something that you should 

not have done ? 

(Silvia shakes her head in denial. He goes to 
take her face in his hands, but she hastily 
kisses him and this time hurries off thru the 
door and into her chamber. Osric is tempted to 
follow her but remains seated.) 

123 



OSRIC 

I wonder what could give her fear? Fear of 
what? 

It must have been my foolishness. 

Ah ! what a weird idea that was ! 

And yet, for a moment she was her very pic- 
ture — 

Eyes, hair, features, all. 

I had never marked it before — never. 

Oh, God! forbid that that should ever be! 

(impatiently) 

Ah, nonsense! It's all nonsense. 

(Takes up the hook and tries to read, but 
soon lays it aside again.) 

And that singing! It was that cursed singing 

Like a phantom escaped from the forgotten past 

And haunting the night. 

Hm ! If it could really have been— 

Ah, nonsense ! I must be dreaming ! 

Dreaming. Hm ! Dreaming. 

(He gets up and walks restlessly to and fro, 
then sits down again and becomes lost in 
thought. After a little while he suddenly rises 
again, lights a candle and goes into Silvia's 
room. He closes the door behind him. Silence. 
Far off, the gradual rumbling of thunder is 
heard. Then the wind begins to bloiv, becom- 
ing louder and louder. Slowly it dies down. 
There is silence once more. Then, far, far 
away, but singularly clear, the song of the 
traveler is heard. Osric comes rushing in and 
makes for the door that leads into the forest. 

124 



Me opens it and disappears into the darkness. 
A moment later, Silvia comes in, excited and 
trembling.) 



Silvia 



Father! Father! Where are you going? 
Father ! What are you doing ? 
Where are you? Oh! I am afraid. 

(She closes the door and moves trembling about 
the room. Every least sound distracts her. 
She stands motionless and listens. The distant 
song dies away and all becomes silent again.) 

Silvia 

I wonder who was singing — I wonder — 
Oh ! I feel so strange — oh, so strange ! 
I wish I could hide or run away — 
But where ? 
I wish father would come back ! 

(A murmuring of the wind outside.) 

No ! no ! no ! Not yet ! 
Oh, father ! Not yet ! 
Oh! 

(She sinks to her knees by the table and sobs. 
The wind begins to blow again — louder and 
louder. There is a sudden streak of lightning 
and a thundercrash. Osric appears in the 
doorway. The wind, coming in, upsets the 
lamp and for several moments all is steeped in 
darkness. Then a beam of moonlight streams 
thru the window and reveals Silvia, crouching 
and terrified. The figure of Osric is seen 
slowly to approach her. As he draws nearer, 
the moonbeam disappears — there is heard a 

125 



quick and sharp cry which is immediately 
muffled and silenced. After a short space of 
time, Osric can be seen groping about in the 
dark room. He is looking for the lamp. He 
lights it, kneels and holds it over the prostrate 
body of his daughter. He gazes at her long and 
steadily. Slowly he puts the lamp aside and 
gathers her into his arms. A groan of deepest 
despair escapes him.) 



126 



THE FLUTE 



THE FLUTE 

An open place in a large forest. A youth, 
happy and gay, comes in carelessly, spies a little 
yellow bird on one of the trees, stops and whistles 
to it. Then he takes his flute and begins to play 
a tune. While playing, a group of twelve young 
girls, dressed in veils, break forth from the 
forest. The veils are large and flowing, and vary 
in color, the different shades of red, blue, yellow 
and green. They begin to dance about him in a 
great circle. One of them gets within the circle 
and leads the dance and sings a song. The rest 
all join in the chorus. Then another one takes 
her place and leads and sings. Thus it continues 
until all have been once within the circle. The 
dance constantly varies with the nature of the 
song. 

Youth 

What a wealth of beauty and grace ; 

What a mystery of music and color. 

Surely I have come upon the abodes 

Where fairy-tales are shaped, 

Or upon the secret gardens 

Of an ancient god. 

(One of the maidens veiled in crimson, and 
distinguished by a small red band about her 
hair, and a dragon-flower in her hand, ap- 
proaches him.) 

Maiden 

We are the daughters of ecstatic fires ; 
The daughters of the moments of glory and 
triumph. 

129 



Youth 

I love your music and grace and flowing veils. 

Maiden 

These only do you love. 

Youth 

I love the laughter of your eyes, 
And the rose of your cheeks. 

Maiden 

These, and nothing more T 

Youth 

I understand you not. 

Maiden 

(Suddenly Icisses him while all the others 
assume enhancing poses.) 

Youth (taken aback) 
Ah! 

(He looks slowly about him with wonder and 
amazement.) 

Maiden {coyly) 

Come with us to our abodes 

In the deep and silent twilight of the forest. 

Come! 

(She begins to dance about him, luring him 
along, but always just evading him. As she is 
about to lead him from the ring, he stops short 
and stands motionless, his head raised and his 
eyes closed.) 

130 



Maiden 

Youth of the spirit of mirth and joy, 

Say what has come over thee, 

For thy face is solemn and grave 

Like the autumn of the forests, 

And the plaintive winds touch lightly thy hair. 

Youth 

I dare not linger longer ; 
I must depart in haste. 

Maiden 
So soon? 

Youth 

Even so soon. 

I am burning unholy 

And my spirit is writhing in pain. 

Maiden 

'Tis I that understand thee not. 

Youth 

My spirit is proud and free 
And cries out to me 
Lest it become thy slave. 

Maiden 

It shall become more free 

Than the wanton winds 

That spread the pollen of the blossoms of spring. 

131 



Youth 

Even in this, thy freedom, is it a slave. 
You understand not, and I must go. 

(She stands in his way and puckers her mouth, 
inviting a Jciss. Ee hesitates a moment, then 
bends and kisses her.) 

Youth 

There! One quick embrace, one kiss, 
Will do no harm. 
Farewell, and farewell to you all 
Bright daughters of the flowing veils. 

(He goes to depart, but as he nears the outside 
of the ring, he starts back suddenly as tho 
struck in the face by some unseen thing. 
He makes several more attempts, but each time 
is likewise rebuffed. With each attempt a 
trickle of laughter is heard from all the maidens 
in the ring.) 

Youth 

I am surrounded by a ring of magic ; 
I am surrounded by sorcery ; 
I am captive and cannot flee. 

Maiden 

Even in your own kiss have you bound yourself. 

Youth 

You are all witches of evil. 

Maiden (coyly) 

Come with us to the silence and sweetness 
Of the deep twilight of the forest. 

132 



Youth 
I hate you. 

Maiden 

Come, give us your flute 

Whereupon you make sweet and luring music, 

And you may go. 

Youth 

Ah ! I love it well and have made 
Music upon it thru many an hour, 
Yet, to set my proud spirit free 
I will give it to thee. 

(He is about to give it to her when one of the 
maidens — the smallest one, with brown curly 
hair and soft eyes, flutters between them and 
checks him.) 

Second Maiden 

Do not give it away ! Do not give it away ! 
For herein rests the secret of your liberty. 
Play music the sweetest and softest — 
And even in the beauty of your art 
Shall the charm that holds your spirit 
Be dispelled. 

(Silently and modestly she steals away and dis- 
appears into the forest. A deep murmur of 
disapproval arises from all the rest, and they 
look after her with scornful faces. 

The youth begins to play upon his flute. 
During the music the maidens set up a low 
moaning and wave their veils slowly as tho 
in pain. Then they recede slowly and disappear 
into the forest. When he ceases playing he 
finds himself alone.) 

133 



Youth (laughing gaily) 

You have all disappeared, you pretty witches, 

A.nd my spirit is laughing with joy. 

Yo ho ! for the mountains ! 

Where the winds blow free 

And the sun is golden. 

(He is about to go, when the little maiden with 
the curly hair and soft eyes, emerges shyly from 
the forest and stands before him, her head 
bowed in shame,) 

Youth 

Sweet creature, I would I could thank thee 

For thy goodness. 

Thou art so sweet and kind. 

Ah ! even as I behold thee 

Mine eyes are strangely dimmed with tears. 

Thou art sad ? 

Second Maiden (simply) 

I love you 

And my love is true. 

Youth (kissing her forehead) 

Come ! You and I shall wander together. 
We shall wander and dwell and sleep together 
In love and faith. 

Come, we shall go unto the mountains, 
High in the windy mountains 
Yo ho ! for the mountains. 
(They go off.) 



134 



TILLY AND PLUCK 



TILLY AND PLUCK 

SCENE 

A hillside in the open country. Pluck, a cow- 
herd, is stretched out upon some green turf and 
is sleeping. His head rests comfortably upon a 
small green mound, and his mouth is wide open. 
Beside him lies his staff. 

Tilly comes skipping in, stops short before the 
sleeping Pluck, and holds her finger mischiev- 
ously before her puckered mouth. She takes a 
blade of grass and begins to tickle Pluck's ears, 
first one, then the other. Each time Pluck gives 
a low grunt, makes an aimless pass with the hand 
and turns his head to the other side. Finally, 
Tilly takes a handful of grass and stuffs it into 
his mouth. Pluck awakes with a start, splutters, 
and makes wry faces, while Tilly, laughing, 
dances about and pokes fun at him. Suddenly 
he darts after her, catches her by the arm and 
makes her sit down beside him on the mound. 

Pluck 

There now, you little cricket! Be good! Ugh! 
What an awful taste in my mouth ! 

Tilly 

That's what you get for being so lazy; doing 
nothing but dreaming and sleeping all day ! 

137 



Pluck 

Hm ! as tho you do so much ! All the time hiding 
in the barn and reading those old stories 
about people and things that never was ! 

Oh, I know you ! 

Tilly (enthusiastically) 

Oh, Pluck! I've just finished an exciting story 
about a princess and a knight. 

Pluck 

What's a knight? 

Tilly 

Why you silly! He's a brave man who wears 
a fine red plume, and rides around on a 
snorting horse, and saves ladies. 

Pluck 

What does he save them from ? 

Tilly (impatiently) 
Oh! 

Pluck 
0— oh ! 

Tilly (plaintively) 

I wish I could be a princess, and had silk dresses 
and had a brave knight for a lover. 

Pluck 

A knight for a lover ? 

138 



Tilly 

I know! I must be a princess and you must be 
my knight. 

Pluck 
Me? 

Tilly 

Why yes. Wouldn't you like to be a knight? 

Pluck 

And your lover? 

(Ee moves closer to her and tries to put his 
arm around her waist. But Tilly moves away 
deftly and holds up her finger in reproof.) 

Tilly 

1. Now ! You must remember you are a knight, 
and that's not the way a knight makes love. 

First, you must make a low bow, and then you 
must get down on your one knee. 

Pluck 

Oh, but I can't. 

Tilly 

Yes, you can. Now make a low bow. 

Pluck (makes a clumsy effort to bow) 

Tilly (laughingly) 

Oh, but not as tho you had a stomach ache! 

Pluck (pouting) 

I don 't like this being a knight ! 

139 



Tilly 

Yes, you do. Now get down on your one knee. 

Pluck (throws himself on his one knee.) 

Tilly (satisfied) 
There ! 

Pluck 

And now, what shall I do? 

Tilly (amused at the poor, awkward Pluck, she 

bursts into laughter.) 
Really, Pluck ! you do look so funny ! 

Pluck 

(Gets up angrily and struts like a peevish boy. 
Then suddenly) 

I'm not going to be a knight anymore. 

Tilly 

Yes you are. Now Pluck, be a good boy! 

Be a real good boy, or I won't like you anymore. 

Come! now I'm your princess. (Coy and 

coaxing) Pluck! 

Pluck 

(Reluctantly gets down on his one knee again.) 

Tilly 

Oh, but you're getting to be so dainty, Pluck! 

(Pluck frowns. Tilly takes his face in her 
hands and begins to laugh again.) 

140 



Why, Pluck! Your face looks like the big 
wrinkly wart on my master's hand. 

(At first Pluck feels insulted, but in spite of 
himself he joins in with Tilly's laughter. Then, 
puckering his lips, he reaches to kiss her, but 
Tilly holds up her finger in warning.) 

Tilly 

2. Now! That's not the way a knight makes love 
to a princess. You must take my hand like 
this, and kiss only my hand. There! 

Pluck 
Your hand? 

Tilly (pretentiously) 
My hand. 



Pluck 



(He goes to kiss her hand but as he brings it 
near his lips he draws back with a wry face.) 



Ugh ! You must have just been churning butter 
or mixing sour milk for the master. 

Tilly (indignant and scornful) 

Is that so ! Hm ! My hands aren't good enough 
for you ! 

Pluck 

Now Tilly, be a good girl! Be a real good girl 
or I won't like you anymore. 

Tilly (sneers and makes faces at him) 

Pluck 

Oh ! how be-a-u-tiful you do look ! 

141 



Tilly (smacking him on the face) 
There, you saucy wart ! 

Pluck (rubs his cheek and sulks) 

Tilly 

Ah! I didn't mean to make it quite so hard. 
(Pats his cheek.) There! That will make 
it all right again. 

(Both laugh, and dance in a ring. Then Pluck 
sits down again and tries to pull Tilly down 
upon his lap, but she holds up her finger warn- 
ingly.) 

Tilly 

3. Now ! That's not the way a knight makes love 
to a princess. 

Pluck 

Oh, let's forget knights. They don't know how 
to make love anyhow, and what's more, I'm 
tired of being one. 

Telly 
Oh, no ! 

Pluck 
Oh, yes! 

Tilly (emphatically) 
I say no ! So, there ! 

Pluck (fretfully) 

But I 'm not going to get down on one knee any- 
more. 

142 



Tilly 

I didn't say you should. 

Pluck 

Well, what do knights do when they become more 
— I mean when they fall in love. 

Tilly (with sudden thought) 
They get down on two knees. 

Pluck (stupefied) 
On two ! 

Tilly 

Urn! — hum! That is if you want to become 
more — I mean if you are falling more in 
love. 

(Pluck pouts, then throws himself on his Tcnees. 
Tilly laughs to herself and Pluck frowns.) 

Tilly 

Oh, Pluck! we almost forgot something. We 
almost forgot the rival. You see knights 
have rivals and you should have one too. 

It's so much more exciting. 

Pluck 

What are rivals ? 

Tilly 

They are two men who fight with swords and try 
to kill each other — anyhow, they are sup- 
posed to try to kill each other. 

143 



Pluck (scratching his head perplexedly) 
Hm! 

Tilly 

You see, they are in love with the same lady. 

Pluck 

But to think that there are so many others to be 
had ! 

Tilly 

4. Oh, but that's not the way a knight makes 

love. 
Now when they fight, the princess, or as the 

book says, the poor damosel — 

Pluck 

The poor what? 

Tilly 

The poor damosel — oh, you don't understand! 

Now when they fight, she weeps and prays and 
trys to stop them and save their lives. 

But they push her aside and keep on fighting to 
the bitter end. Then the one that wins, gets 
the princess and they live happy ever after. 

Pluck 

Live happy ever after? 

Tilly 

Urn — hum! Really Pluck, you must look for a 
rival. 

Pluck 

But suppose I'm the one that gets killed? 

144 



Tilly 

Oh! that would just be right! You see, then 
I could bend over you and be heartbroken 
and weep, and at night, when the moon 
would shine, I could come to your grave and 
sigh like Princess Willowfan. Oh, she could 
sigh so beau-tiful. (Tilly sighs, Pluck 
sighs.) Why what's the trouble, Pluck? 

Pluck 

I — I don't know. I sort of feel funny. 

Tilly (pretentiously) 

When you're a knight, you should learn to hide 
your feelings. 

Pluck 

Well, what shall I do ? Bury my face ? 

Tilly 

Anyhow, that would make you look better. But 
let me see, who would make a good rival ? 

Pluck 

But if I shouldn't get killed, I might win — 
what then ? 

Tilly 

I suppose we would have to live happy ever after. 

Pluck 

I suppose we would. 

Tilly 

But that wouldn't be at all exciting. 

145 



Pluck (rubbing his cheek) 
I don't know about that. 

Tilly 

Oh! you don't know anything! 

Pluck 

I wish we could live happy ever after without 
this stuff about rivals. And I don't see why 
we couldn't if your father wouldn't be so — 
if he were a little more — well, not quite so 
rough about it. 

Tilly 

Now you know, they say when father's rough, 
he's in a good humor. 

Pluck 

Well, I don't like that kind of humor. You 
remember when we were at the festival and 
he came and grabbed me by the hair and 
tickled me under the chin with a cane, and 
then — (rubbing his head) — well you know. 

Tilly (sympathetically) 

Yes, and after the cane was broken, he used his 
foot. Now you see if we were princesses 
and knights we wouldn't have to care about 
father. 

Pluck 

Well, don't they have a father? 

146 



Tilly 

5. Yes, but they don't seem to trouble about him. 

Pluck 

But suppose he troubles about them? 

Tilly 

Oh, he just doesn't. 

Pluck 

But suppose just once that he should trouble, 

and get rough and do with them as he does 

with us. 

Tilly 

Oh, well, then they have what they call a ro- 
mance. At night, when the moon is shining, 
they meet each other in some mysterious 
place and then run away and get married. 

Pluck 

{Struck with a sudden thought and leaning 
close to Tilly.) 

Why can't we make love like the knights and 
have a romance? 

Tilly 

Why can't we? 

Pluck 
Lets. 

Tilly 

6. Lets. 

(They dance about happily and go off.) 
CURTAIN 

147 



THE SHADOW-GRAPH 

If the shadow-graph is used, the following 
scenes will he inserted at the places denoted 
respectively by the numbers. 

1. 

A knight puts his arm around a princess. 

2. 

The knight kisses the princess. 

3. 

The princess sits down upon the knee of the 
courtier. 

4. 

The princess is seated between two knights. 
All three are engaged in merry conversation. 

5. 

The princess and the knight. The father of 
the princess appears and the knight steals away. 

6. 

The knight and the princess dance around 
gracefully and disappear. 



148 



DAVID AND NATHAN 



DAVID AND NATHAN 

Scene I 

A room in the house of David. The walls are 
covered with purple tapestries which are 
trimmed with gold borders. In the back, at the 
center, is a large doorway, and on each side of 
this are two long, narrow windows. When the 
tapestry is drawn aside from the doorway, a 
considerable view of the center of the court is 
obtained. Here, a small artificial pond, shaded 
by several citron trees, is visible. 

On the right side of the room is a large stone 
seat elevated upon a platform of several succes- 
sive steps. The platform is covered with a 
purple mg. David is resting comfortably in the 
seat. At his feet, a young musician is making 
music upon a harp. The music ceases. 

David 

Truly thou hast played it well ; 

And if thy music, at this evening's festival 

Should be as sweet and luring 

I shall be pleased indeed. 

Nor forget what I have told thee : 

When the first wines are being served, 

Thou shalt kneel at the foot of Bathsheba 

And play this song ; 

Thou shalt mingle with the tones of the harp 

Thine own gentle voice. 

And if she bow her head as when the soul 

151 



Is touched with sweet emotion, 
I shall fill thy pockets with gold. 

Zepho 

Master, I shall do my best. 

But there is a grievous fault in the harp, 

For here, where the music groweth sweetest, 

Several strings are loosened; 

And since they are much worn with use, 

I fear to tighten them, lest one should break. 

David 

It were indeed a sorry jest, if at the word of love, 

A harp -string would be rent in two, 

And all the music suddenly would grow dis- 
cordant. 

Let Raamah give thee mine own soft harp ; 

And use it well, that no harm shall befall it, 

For there is not another one in all Israel 

That yields so sweetly to the touch, so passion- 
ately. 

(Enter a servant.) 

Servant 

Master, the aged Nathan with some followers 

Is waiting at the gate ; 

He comes to talk with thee in private. 

David 

Nathan ! ah, his dreams have again been filled 

With the revelations of the Lord. 

Surely he hath had visions of the siege, and 

bringeth news thereof. 

Bid him enter. 

(Exit servant.) 

152 



O, that the Lord may have been kind, 
And given into the hands of Joab 
The city of Rabbah ! 

(To Zepho) 
Zepho, bid Raamah give thee my harp 
That thou mayest accustom thyself unto it. 
And say that I have commanded 
To adorn the court with Palms, 
To pour the wines into the bowls wrought of the 

newest gold. 

(Exit Zepho.) 

(Enter Nathan.) 

Welcome, aged Nathan ! 

Thou bringest prophesies for the house of David ? 

(Nathan bows reverently) 

Thou art grave and even thy brows 

Seem weighted with heavy burden. 

Surely, thou bringest not evil tidings of the 

siege ? 
"What, Joab hath not been slain? 

Nathan 

Master, I know nothing of the siege, 

Tho it is being rumored 

That the walls of Rabbah have been overthrown, 

And Joab hath conquered the city. 

David 
Ah! 

Nathan 

Nay, I come not as messenger of war 
But as guardian of justice. 

153 



One of the children of Israel hath committed 

Grave sin against the Lord. 

And since the Lord hath looked with favor upon 

thee, 
And hath chosen thee to do his will over Israel, 
I come to thee for righteous judgment; 
I come to thee, that the just may be rewarded 
And the wicked punished. 

David 

Truly, if there be such a one who hath trespassed 

The law of the God of Israel, 

He shall be punished accordingly ; 

And may the will of the Lord be manifest in my 

soul, 
That I might speak in justice, 
That I might pass righteous judgment. 
What is the evil that hath been done? 

Nathan 

It concerneth two men who were neighbors 
And whose dwellings are within the very city, 
The one man being rich, the other poor. 
The rich man had exceeding many flocks and 

herds 
But the poor man had nothing, 
Save one little lamb 
Which he bought and nourished up. 
And it grew together with him and with his 

children ; 
It did eat of his own morsel, and drank of his 

own cup, 

154 



And lay in his bosom, 

And was unto him as a daughter. 

And there came a traveler unto the rich man, 

And he spared to take of his own flock and herd 

To dress for the wayfaring man that was come 

unto him. 
But took the poor man's lamb 
And dressed it for the man that was come unto 

him. 
This hath he done in the face of the Lord 
Who had favored him with riches and fortune 
And bathed him in blessings, like sunshine. 

David 

As the Lord liveth, the man that hath done this, 

Shall surely die. 

He is like unto a foul weed in the Garden of 

Israel, 
And must be rooted out and destroyed. 

Nathan 

Is this the will of the Lord 
Made manifest in thy soul ? 

David 

Even more — for tho he die, 

His neighbor's loss is not redeemed thereby. 

So shall he restore the lamb fourfold 

"Because he did this thing, because he had no 

Pity" 
Even now let him be cast into chains, 

And may the Lord alone have mercy on his soul. 

155 



Nathan 

May the Lord indeed have mercy on his soul. 

David 

And do I know this man ? 

Nathan 

Thou dost know him only too well, 
For he walketh in purple garments 
And doth sit upon a throne ; 
His sceptre doth sway over the mightiest chil- 
dren of God ; 
He ruleth as King over Israel. 
Even now he is before me. 
Thou art the man. 

David 
I! 

Nathan 

Thou! 

1 ' Thus saith the Lord of Israel : 

I anointed thee king over Israel, 

And delivered thee out of the hand of Saul, 

And I gave thee thy master's house 

And thy master 's wives into thy bosom, 

And gave thee the house of Israel and of Judah ; 

And if that had been too little 

I would have added unto thee such and such 

things. 
Wherefore hast thou despised the word of the 

Lord 
To do that which is evil in his sight? 
Thou hast smitten Uriah the Hittite with the 

sword, 

156 



And hast taken his wife to be thy wife, 

And hast slain him with the sword of the chil- 
dren of Ammon. 

Now therefore shall the sword never depart from 
thy house 

Because thou hast despised me 

And hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite 

To be thy wife." 

David (springing up) 

Lay hold on him and cast him into the dungeon. 

Where be my slaves? 

(Two guards armed with spears, rush in thru 
the curtained doorway and are ah out to seize 
Nathan. The latter points accusingly at David, 
then slowly begins to speak again. David with 
a wave of the hand orders the guards to leave.) 

(Exeunt guards.) 

Nathan 

"Thus saith the Lord, 

Behold, I will raise up evil against thee 

And I will take thy wives before thine eyes, 

And give them unto thy neighbor, 

And he shall lie with them in the sight of the 

sun, 
For thou didst it secretly ; 
But I will do this thing before all Israel 
And before the sun." 

David 

Almighty God ! 

(Buries his head in his hands.) 

157 



Nathan 

Dost thou confess thy sin? 

David (muffled) 

0, full of anguish is my soul ! 
(Pause) 

David (springing up) 

Let me depart forever from the sight of the 

Lord, 
For I am steeped in the floods of iniquity 
And am unworthy of the Lord ! 
Let me be seized with a thousand pains ; 
Let me be flayed by ruthless agonies, 
That in the torments of my body 
I might drown my soul ! 

(He sinks bach, exhausted) 

Nathan 

(Laying his hand on David's shoulder) 
Even in thine own remorse, thy soul is purified ; 
And in these, thy words, art thou forgiven. 
"The Lord doth put away thy sin, 
Thou shalt not die." 

(He retreats slowly, halts, and raises his 
hands.) 

The will of .the Lord hath been done. 

(Exit Nathan.) 

(A flourish of trumpets is heard in the distance. 
Baamah comes in hastily, but on seeing David, 
he stops short and retreats several steps as tho 
in fright. He bows reverently.) 

158 



Raamah 

Master, the dancers with their cymbals have 

arrived, 
And there is also among them a conjurer, 
And one who worketh magic with fire. 
Shall I bring them into the court? 

David 

Raamah, make haste and let it be known to all 

There shall be no festivities tonight. 

The dancers shall depart from whence they came ; 

The wines shall be poured away ; 

The palms and the flowers strewn over the fields. 

Not a light shall burn in the house of David, 

And all shall be steeped in the stillness of night. 

No man shall converse with his neighbor, 

And none shall whisper why or wherefore ; 

But each shall steal silently unto his den, 

And where the moonlight greets his window 

Offer prayer unto God. 

Woe unto him that doth otherwise. 

Begone. 

(Exit Raamah.) 

(David goes to the doorway and draws aside 
one of the curtains. He sinks down upon Ms 
right "knee and begins to speak the fifty-first 
psalm. Evening slowly closes in upon him.) 

CURTAIN 



159 



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